The Squib of Slytherin
by Mandarrin
Summary: Harry Potter, the boy who lived. Saved by Severus Snape, he arrives at Hogwarts and is adored by all and friends with none. Though they quickly learn that he is not the powerful legend he is made out to be. Draco believes there is more to the scathingly cold squib, and he will do anything to find out the truth. Dark!Harry Squib!Harry Slytherin!Harry (Diverges from Canon)
1. The Prologue (Part One)

**Author's Note: I have had a new idea for a story, that I will be writing along side Silver Dreams (A maruaders era fic).**

 **I haven't ever read anything like this specifically but I have seen certain aspects of this elsewhere. I thought it would be interesting so here we are!**

The Prologue (Part One):

\- One -

'Tomorrow, it is my eleventh birthday. Though that means nothing here. Every year it is not even acknowledged and I end up celebrating alone. My parents are dead and my aunt and uncle treat me terribly, and encourage their son to do the same. I wish I had the power to escape them, but I am alone', Harry wrote into his Diary before hiding it under his floorboard and, failing miserably, he attempted to fall asleep.

\- Two -

"Answer the door, freak!" Screamed the all too familiar voice of Vernon Dursley. Harry shook slightly at his words and ran down the stairs.

"Who on Earth could be calling at this hour?", questioned Petunia Dursley as she scurried around the house, furiously cleaning away - despite there being not a speck of dirt in sight.

Harry opened the door and surveyed the man before him from top to bottom: he had a tall, thin frame; clad in dark, flowing robes covered his frame - which matched the shade of his dark (if not slightly greasy) hair, it hung across the majority of his face but he looked youthful as well as unreadable.

"I don't know... Sir!", shouted Harry, who shook violently: he was deathly afraid of being beaten again, but was also deathly afraid of the strange visitor.

"My name is Snape, Severus Snape, and I have come to speak with your relatives. In the future, I would appreciate them not leaving me in the doorway and coming to see me themselves, instead of sending a young boy to speak with strangers", said the stranger in a hollow, monotone voice.

A glass smashed in the kitchen and Petunia poked her long neck around the doorway, gasping at the stranger she beckoned for him to come in, "Vernon, come down! Though you will not be pleased...", she shouted in a shaken tone upwards.

Snape interrogated Petunia and Vernon about the cause of Harry's Hogwarts letters being ignored. Petunia and Vernon had no answer, they had hoped nobody would find out or else no one would care if Harry did not reply. They had been wrong.

Snape looked deeply into Harry's eyes before examining Petunia and Vernon, " I knew you were a jealous and selfish child, but I would have hoped you would grow up". He took a sharp intake of breath before continuing in his eeriely calm voice, "How can you treat Lily's son so poorly? I am disgusted with you, Petunia".

Snape took Harry by the hand and lead him to his room, "Pack your things, we are leaving now. This is worse than I could have imagined, Dumbledore is a fool".

Harry was oddly pleased that the man was saving him. 'Regardless of where I am going to be taken, it must be better than here', thought Harry as he collected his things into a small, beaten trunk.

 **Author's Note: Thank you for reading, I hope you will follow this story if you wish to see more and comment if you have any criticisms or ideas of what you think will happen next.**


	2. The Prologue (Part Two)

**Author's Notes: Hello again! I'm back and I'm back far sooner than expected. I don't have a particular upload schedule but I just want to post this as fast as I can put them out.**

The Prologue (Part Two):

\- Three -

"Thank you for allowing me to stay with you, Sir", said a cheerful Harry, though his voice became solemn as he continued, "I... dislike my relatives".

Snape said nothing in return as he led Harry through the bustling streets of Diagon Alley.

He had no intention of admitting such a thing, but he saw himself and his upbringing in Harry and - most painfully - he saw Lily. The hauntingly beautiful, emerald green eyes - that smiled at him in that moment - were identical to the same hauntingly beautiful, emerald green eyes that had drawn him out of his lonely world all those years ago. It was disgusting that Dumbledore had allowed such an innocent child, Lily's innocent child, to be left with those cruel monsters. He felt it was his duty to protect the boy from Dumbledore's games, though he had no intention of admitting such a thing.

The two had weaved their way through the crowds, only stopping once, they approached a shop called 'Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions'. Snape held the door open for Harry, who slowly walked in.

For the most part, the shop was empty. However, there was a small, slender boy with a handsome face and shiny, platinum blonde hair being measured in the center of the room as a couple (who Harry assumed were the boy's parents) watched him fondly.

Snape showed a flicker of recognition in his eyes as he approached the couple with the uttermost amount of confidence, "Hello, Narcissa; Lucius. This is Harry Potter: he will be in the same year as Draco".

Narcissa flocked towards Harry and smiled, whilst Lucius kept his distance and showed no emotion. Narcissa smiled warmly as she softly spoke, "Hello Harry, it is lovely to meet you. You must meet my son, Draco", she turned her hand and motioned for the boy to come over to them.

"Hello, Mr. Famous Harry Potter", said Draco sarcastically, "Is it true you have been living with muggles this entire time?".

Narcissa gasped, "Draco! Do not ask such things so coldly!".

Harry laughed awkwardly and briefly paused, "It's quite alright Miss". He then turned to face Draco directly and spoke plainly, "Yes, I lived with muggles and knew nothing of my 'fame'. Allowing himself to indulge in Draco's shocked expression, he then continued, "It was an... unpleasant experience, to say the least".

Narcissa looked mortified at this and dramatically held her hands to cover her face, "I imagine it must have been, you poor boy!". She regained her composure (though Harry was not sure whether to take this show of compassion seriously or not), "I do hope you and Draco end up in the same house together, how lovely would it be for you to be friends?".

Draco sneered slightly and said, "Well, I know that I shall be in Slytherin and I doubt Golden Boy will end up in Slytherin, so there goes that dream, mother", he dramatically looked at Harry and finished with a sarcastic, "What a shame, Potter".

Snape allowed Draco to finish with his dramatics before he quickly jumped in, "Well let us hope Potter ends up in Slytherin, it is the best house, it is my house". He gave Draco a slight glare before turning towards Harry.

"I would quite like that", said Harry honestly, "I imagine your house is the best", he then blurted as his mind wandered to the Summer's previous events.

Draco rolled his eyes, but then - after seeing his father's seething gaze - relented, "Why don't we go to the pet shop together, Potter?". Harry nodded his head and the group exited the robe shop, with both boys' uniforms in hand.

They arrived swiftly - as the pet shop was rather nearby, and, though it was named 'Eeylops Owl Emporium', it housed a variety of interesting and unique animals (some of which were unknown to Harry) as well as owls.

Though Harry was initially looking at owls with Draco, he felt drawn to the snakes. If he were to describe the feeling, it was almost as if they were speaking to him. He had only experienced such a thing once, and it had ended disastrously. Regardless, Harry approached a particularly calm looking snake and said, "Hello". He waited.

"Hello, child. What is it that has drawn you to me?", asked the elegant snake as she coiled around a tree.

Her eyes gazed into his as he thought. The answer was simple, yet unsatisfactory, "Fate".

"Harry! What are you doing?", shouted Draco as he pointed at him accusingly. Draco looked more pale than usual as he looked to Narcissa, "Mother, Harry is making strange noises at the snake".

Snape closed the gap between himself and the commotion as he bent down and whispered, "Not here Draco: Harry, we can speak of this later".

\- Four -

Nothing more was said of the matter until the group returned to the Malfoy's Manor. Snape have a brief explaination of Harry's strange encounter and as soon as he uttered the word, "Parselmouth" the entire room looked utterly shaken - except for Harry.

"Correct me if I am mistaken, sir: are you saying I can speak to snakes in a language of their own?", Harry did not look even slightly surprised, instead, he looked intrigued.

Lucius sternly spoke to Harry (for the first time), "Potter, you are misunderstanding. This is not normal: this is incredibly rare. Only the descendants of Slytherin himself are said to possess such a gift".

Snape quietly added, "I would be careful of revealing such a gift publicly". The mood became somewhat sombre after this ominous warning; the rest of dinner was eaten in silence.

\- Five -

Later that evening, Harry found himself knocking on the door to Snape's room. Snape promptly admitted Harry and asked what was so clearly troubling the boy. Harry breathed deeply before asking in little more than a whisper, "Why did Olivander say my wand has the same core as Voldemort's? Why would I be seen to be in Voldemort's likeness by a wand?", Harry's voice remained calm, even though this couldn't be further from how he truly felt.

Severus gave Harry a long look before choosing his reply, "I do not know, yet".

 **Author's Note: Next up will be Hogwarts! The next chapter will be (most likely) far longer than these two have been. I'm really excited for this and I hope you guys enjoy it too!**

 **Edit: Sorry, Hogwarts is not the next chapter.**


	3. The Prologue (Part Three)

**Author's Note: I changed my mind lol. I added a new chapter here and edited my Manuscript. This explains things better as there was a weird gap. Hogwarts will be next chapter (I promise)!**

The Prologue (Part Three):

\- Six -

"Shall we sit together?", asked Harry politely. He had no certainty over the matter, but he sensed that Draco wanted to be closer than his aloft demeanour would allow.

"Whatever, Potter", huffed Draco. Regardless of what his parents advised, Draco had no intention of chasing around after 'the boy who lived'.

"Great! Let us go then", said Harry as he smiled to himself. He knew Draco would come around.

As they boarded the Hogwarts Express, both Harry and Draco considered the previous night's events further.

Draco was suspicious of exactly why his parents suddenly seemed more interested in stupid Potter than before, and he was also interested in why Snape seemed concerned. He also knew that he had been forced to stay quiet about the Parceltongue incident and knew that they must be connected. He wanted to investigate further, despite the fact that he had no intention of caring.

Harry was slowly stroking Ouroboros (the snake he had received only yesterday), as he thought about everything; he realised that it may be unsafe to show himself. He didn't know what kinds of abilities he had (if any) but he knew that talking to snakes was not regarded as normal.

The way Ouroboros whispered in his ears, and the way she understood him better in one day than anyone had his entire life, made him feel strangely calm. Any anger he had held was gone, and in its place was purpose. He knew not what his purpose was but he sensed that he was special. He always had.

\- Seven -

The rest of the journey had been calm. The silence had only been broken by a kindly old lady - with a trolly bringing magical sweets. Both Harry and Draco had more than enough money to buy anything they wished. Harry took Draco's advice and chose chocolate frogs as well as Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans.

He was intitially tempted to buy absolutely everything but Draco had warned against it, "Mother loves you; I'm certain she will be sending both of us more than enough sweets". Draco looked as it he was about to smile, but instead, he merely laughed coldly and looked out of the window.

The silence from before prevailed and the two boys remained relatively bored until a blonde, round faced boy frantically burst into the compartment, "Have you seen my Toad?".

Draco looked at the petrified boy and laughed,"Perhaps Harry's snake has eaten it?". Draco then looked to Harry who had kept his face perfectly straight.

"Hmm, Ouroboros, have you eaten the toad?", asked Harry in mock concern. He paused and allowed himself to watch the boy's morbid expression before continuing, "No reply, I shall take that as a maybe, oh dear!", he replied with sarcasm oozing from his voice.

The boy whimpered slightly as a bucked teeth, bushy haired girl stormed in. "Have you found it yet, Neville?", she said with a patronising air of authority.

"N.. no!", whimpered Neville, "B...but Harry said his snake might have eaten it!".

At this point both Harry and Draco were in tears, though the bossy girl did not seem so amused, "Harry Potter?".

"Yes, that is his name. I wouldn't overuse it if I were you", sneered Draco. He didn't like to be intimidated, and certainly not by a bossy girl!

"I thought you would be nicer, Harry", she glared at him as she said this and tutted.

"Well then you must have thought wrong". Like Draco, Harry was not fond of being intimidated. He also had no intention of letting some silly girl be rude to him.

Draco was in hysterics at this and laughed even louder as the girl grabbed Neville's arm and ran off, "I am really starting to like you Potter!".

 **Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has read (and reviewed) this! I really appreciate it. This got a lot more attention than my other fic (Silver Dreams) but I'm still updating both in a fairly regular schedule.**


	4. The First Year (Part One)

**Author's Note: I am not certain if you feel I should have made this longer or not. Regardless, I thought I would share all that I have finished (before I sleep).**

The First Year (Part One):

\- One -

The Sorting Hat fell over his head, obscuring his vision; resting gracelessly as it did so. He tried to hide the undeniable sense of shock he felt when he heard a voice that was not his own in his mind:

'Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind, either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes - and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting... So where shall I put you?

Harry could not be certain if this question was rhetorical or not, but a small part of his subconscious still replied, 'Slytherin'.

The hat (as Harry now realised this was who he could hear) replied calmly, 'That is not as expected... I imagine someone will be surprised'. The hat seemed to be laughing at this before cutting itself off, 'Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness'.

The hat seemed to pause, then it called aloud, "SLYTHERIN".

There were audible gasps from all over the room, but these were swiftly drowned out by the rapturous roar of the Slytherin table.

Harry walked slowly and allowed himself to separate from the judgemental stares of his peers. He was more focused on _someone_ ; he knew exactly whom the person the Sorting Hat had been referring to was: Dumbledore. His kind blue eyes had momentarily widened in shock, and though no one had noticed ('no doubt too absorbed in their own surprise', Harry assumed) Dumbledore's - seemingly - innocent surprise had not escaped Harry.

Finally seated, Harry fought furiously to stifle his own laughter. Draco Malfoy was pleased, he knew so much, yet he still held the pretence of paying no attention; his face was unmistakably masking the grin he had held moments before.

\- Two -

'The dormitory is _interesting_ , to say the least', Harry thought, as he lay awake in bed.

His dorm-mates were all asleep (all five of them) and Harry couldn't help but feel more alone than ever, regardless of the number of people he surrounded himself with. It was strange to think that, before recently, he had never been considered as anything other than filth, yet the people around him idolised his existence for something he didn't know about - until a few weeks ago.

He understood quickly that Crabbe and Goyle were nothing more than mindless muscle, who would follow whoever was the most powerful. 'Like _parasites_ ', thought Harry with disgust. Right now, that person seemed to be Draco - 'no, _Malfoy_ ', Harry mentally corrected himself, 'but even Malfoy seems rather indifferent'.

He gave little more than glance to Zabini and Nott, as he knew little of them. However, he made a mental note to learn more: to decide if they were worth his time. All he knew was that Zabini seemed secretive and Nott seemed disinterested. Neither of these were good signs.

Harry turned his attention to Malfoy, _again_. He knew that Malfoy was his most likely friend. He knew that Malfoy's parents favoured him (most likely for his fame) and would encourage Malfoy to befriend him. Yet he also knew that Malfoy was too prideful to admit such a thing. Even now, he was still feigning a dislike of Harry, 'no doubt playing hard to get'.

Harry sighed wistfully as he resigned himself to sleep.

\- Three -

The way the water in the lakes lashed against the window mesmerised Harry: he felt oddly safe in the dull darkness lurking around him. However, he could not rest. There was still a matter pressing on his mind, 'how should I present myself?'.

Snape's warning hung heavily over him as he thought clearly, 'I can risk being singled out no longer. I must protect myself from Dumbledore's invasive influences'. The fact that Dumbledore had allowed him to be abused, just to make him easier to manipulate, made the bile in Harry's throat rise. He could not help but wonder what Snape hoped to gain in telling him such things, however.

'Charm or fear, can I strike such a balance in myself?', Harry hissed to Ouroboros. He had no intention of speaking to her publicly, but he enjoyed the moment he had alone with her - knowing it may be a rarity.

Sleep finally struck, when he expected it least, and his guard was finally lowered. For now.

\- Four -

"Ha ha, _mate_ ", laughed the boy harshly, "who would have thought it?". He held his head high and checked to see if he had an audience, he did. "The boy who lived cannot even protect himself!".

Harry clenched his teeth and resisted the urge to bite the foul boy's face clean off. He never realised how difficult such restraint would be. "But Dumbledore cannot use you if you are useless", echoed Ouroboros' wisdom in his mind.

"Get your hands off of Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, you filthy blood traitor!", screamed Draco as he pointed his wand at Weasley's throat. Crabbe and Goyle followed suit, but instead opting to use their brute strength against Weasley, grabbed his arms and pulled, grinning as they did so.

Harry saw this opportunity to swiftly kick Weasley's gangly legs from under him. The Slytherins cheered at this and stepped in, shielding Harry from the furious Gryffindor.

"That is enough!", shouted Professor McGonagall as she shot herself down the stairs, "What is the meaning of this?!".

Weasley began to shout about the unfairness of 'Slytherins insulting him' and how he was 'outnumbered' and 'self-defense'. Harry resisted the urge to laugh.

McGonagall gave Harry a scornful look: she was expecting answers. Harry thought of his most painful memories and allowed the tears to well up, "I... I was j... just walking and... and he _attacked_ me!". Harry waited. He felt the first tear roll and continued, "I just d... didn't know what to d... do, ma'am!". Harry allowed her to gaze deeply into his eyes: his conscience would not betray him, "I felt so cornered and he would not leave me be!".

Draco saw the sideways glance Harry passed to him and he knew exactly what he was required to do, "I am afraid this is too true, miss. Weasel - Weasley lunged for Harry, I was absolutely _terrified_! How could _anyone_ _attack_ a _poor_ , _defenceless_ _squib_?".

McGonagall closed her eyes, rolling them slightly. She could not understand how the Sorting Hat could have possibly allowed a squib in, 'it was unconvincable'. Yet, Harry Potter had shown no sign of talent; he was worse than Neville.

"My father will hear about this!", protested Malfoy in his most disgusted tone.

McGonagall sighed before working herself up again, "Weasley, you shall come with me! Malfoy, do be good and take Harry to Professor Snape, check that he is well. He can decide your _fates_ ".

\- Five -

Both boys laughed as they headed towards the dungeons. "That will teach him for trying to worm his way in!", whispered Malfoy triumphantly.

Harry agreed, "I cannot believe he was so fast to lose all tact".

"The poor _Gryffindor_ ", Malfoy mocked the idea of such a thing - as if it were a travesty.

They knocked the door and Snape admitted them. He was exasperated and amused - in equal measure - the moment he realised who had walked in, 'again'.

Boys, as _amusing_ as it is, you cannot keep toying with them all", said Snape - in such a way that one would assume he had never felt amusement in anything. "I do understand that this is for your own safety, but using it as a weapon - for your own entertainment, no less - is terribly risky.

Snape's head turned suddenly: ' _footsteps_ '.

"And you better not be back! A month of detentions for the pair of you!", he shouted, as he motioned towards the door, with what Harry imagined was the closest to a smirk Snape had ever revealed.

"Well. Hello there _Albus_. To what do I owe the pleasure?", Snape said with a tone of piercing irony.

 **Author's Note: Thank you for reading and sticking with me! What do you imagine will happen next?**


	5. The First Year (Part Two)

**Author's Note: I have almost finished my first fan fic (Silver Dreams), or at least it is at a point where my current plans for it end. There is only one chapter remaining, and, after that, this will be my main priority.**

The First Year (Part Two):

\- Six -

"Severus, it has been nearly three months!", Dumbledore shouted with pure exasperation, "How can he fulfil his destiny if he cannot fight?!".

Severus merely sighed. Internally, he felt absolutely disgusted at the way the poor boy was treated like a pawn: nothing but a puppet, who would suffer whenever it benefitted Dumbledore. 'For the greater good, _my arse_!', bit back a small piece of the deepest part of Severus' mind.

He thought back to his own days at Hogwarts: 'Even then, Dumbledore played favourites with the Gryffindor's, and ignored the danger I was in, to suit his own agenda. I will not let the same thing happen to _Lily's_ son. Her sacrifice was worth more than that', thought Severus resolutely.

He breathed in and kept the mask firmly intact, "It is a shame, Albus, but maybe the boy is just not meant to be _used_ by you".

Dumbledore smiled softly, "And just what are you implying, _Severus_?".

"You know exactly what I am implying, _Albus_ ", hissed Severus with an air of defiance that was rarely seen, even by Dumbledore.

"Well, perhaps, we were wrong. Perhaps, the boy should just return to the muggle world", said Dumbledore flippantly as he moved forwards, encroaching on Severus. Severus retreated. He knew exactly what Dumbledore was implying.

"You wouldn't dare...", his voice quivered slightly above utter silence. He felt outraged - to such an extent that no amount of anger could convey his disgust.

"I do not believe him, Severus", Dumbledore responded calmly as he walked away.

\- Seven -

"Potter!", cheered an unknown fifth year (Harry knew them only by status; not by name) as he entered the Slytherin common room with Malfoy, "We heard that you really got that Weasel this time!".

"Yes, I believe he will keep his nose out, _for_ _now_ ", said Harry nonchalantly, paying no attention to anyone as he walked towards the dorms. Malfoy swiftly skirted behind Harry, keeping watch for any adverse reactions.

'All is well', thought Harry as he sat down upon his bed. He found himself grinning, his strategy had gone perfectly, so far; he had no intention of allowing that to change.

He had used Malfoy's knowledge of his abilities to his advantage. Malfoy secretly held him in high regard, which was an advantageous way to gain loyalty from those who held Malfoy in high regard. Malfoy was also more than willing to consult Harry on a wise move for power - that would not compromise his 'Dumbledore immunity'.

The plan was rather simple. Harry allowed himself to be caught speaking Parseltongue in the dorms. This caused the rumour of him being a descendant of Salazar Slytherin himself to spread like wildfire. This rumour was then confirmed by his dorm mates, and Harry was subsequently receiving pledges of allegiance on a daily basis.

This rumour could not spread outside of Slytherin, due to the inherent fraternal secrecy the house imposed upon itself, and the potential weapon Harry could be cultivated into was more than enough to seal any stray lips.

\- Eight -

Harry felt a small warmth when he considered the fondness he held for Malfoy.

He was, without a doubt, the most intelligent person in first year, and the only person Harry considered to be even remotely interesting enough for him.

He was glad of how their friendship was developing: like ivy on a stone wall, it grew slowly but surely, clinging firmly to all that touched it. It was a loyal bond that could not be broken, and would surely be cultivated by time itself.

"Potter?", asked Draco causally.

"Yes, Malfoy?", said Harry sweetly, with a hint of gentleness that could not be observed publicly.

"I was wondering if you would like to visit my family and I for Christmas? We would enjoy your company dearly", said Malfoy, in such a tone that was identical to the tone he used when he asked his father for something he desired greatly.

"That would be wonderful, Malfoy", responded Harry cordially.

"Potter?", repeated Malfoy, in the same fashion to which he had phrased it the first time.

"Yes Malfoy", said Harry, with an equal amount of repetition.

"Call me Draco", Malfoy hastily responded.

"Yes, _Draco_ ", said Harry, grinning as he did so.

"Potter?", Malfoy asked - for the third time in the same tone.

"What is it, _Draco_?", Harry responded in a docile tone.

"May I call you Harry?", he questioned nervously.

"Of course, _Draco_ , my friend", Harry replied.

He did not realise he had said such a thing until it had escaped him, but Draco's reaction was priceless.

\- Nine -

"Harry!", she said suddenly.

"What?!", replied Harry impatiently. He had no need to turn around: he already knew who was pestering him.

"I don't _believe_ you", she teased knowingly.

"I don't know what you are talking about. Go away!", he snapped. He knew exactly what she was speaking of and had no interest in letting a know-it-all like her interrogate him.

"Look, Harry", she said plainly, pushing him aside as she did so (though she was not forceful), "You don't make sense".

"Do I not?", he laughed at this, but he was interested.

"No. In fact I have evidence that you are a _liar_ , Harry", she squeezed closer to him as she said this, whilst the condescending tone of her voice drove through him like nails on a chalkboard.

"Prove it", probed Harry, calling upon her - whilst hoping she was bluffing.

"Well, firstly, you must have magic or else you would not have a wand, how could a wand choose you if you were not magical?", she said at a fast pace.

Harry opened his mouth to respond but she put her finger to his lips and continued to ramble on, "Secondly, how did the hat sort you if you were not magical? It would have sensed that you do not belong".

Harry felt the hissing intake of air press against his chest as he considered Hermione's ' _evidence_ '. He laughed forcefully with as little sincerity as he could, "So?".

"I will tell Dumbledore", she cautioned threateningly.

This caused a small bubble of hysteria to form in Harry's mind. He could not help the manic laughter that escaped him as he heard this, "Do you really believe Dumbledore hasn't already figured this out. Wow, Hermione, I thought you were meant to be _intelligent_ ". He watched mirthfully as he observed the way Hermione faltered. He had won.

"But... I...", Hermione spluttered.

"Come back when you have some _real_ _evidence_ ", Harry whispered in a low, foul tone. He then turned on his heel and dramatically left Hermione to argue with herself.

 **Author's Note: I am uncertain of if you guys like or dislike this somewhat fragmented style of storytelling or not.**

 **I personally have chosen it to represent the idea that you are only going to see key aspects of the story and that you won't learn everything at once.**

 **It contrasts with how I usually write so please tell me if you feel I need to improve. Likewise, please inform me if you see any stupid errors.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this. I'm really thankful for your reviews and the fact that people have actually taken the time to read something I have made.**

 **I do tend to reply to any questions I am asked (though I do try to avoid spoilers) so feel free to ask questions and prompt a discussion.**

 **See you soon!**


	6. The First Year (Part Three)

**Author's Note: I just wanted to apologise for the long wait, I really found this difficult to write. That also means it may not be as long as I wanted - or you wanted - but I figured it was better to release something short, rather than having a long upload time (with too much story in one go).**

The First Year (Part Three):

\- Ten -

"Harry?", Severus took Harry aside. They had been at Malfoy Manor all evening and this was the first chance Severus had found to talk to Harry alone.

"Yes, Severus?", replied Harry. He had initially felt unsure of how to refer to Severus Snape but, with his permission, Harry had found himself naturally wanting to be less formal with the professor who had taken him in. His only restriction was that formality was wanted - by Severus - when there were other students around.

"Professor Dumbledore asked me to give this to you", he said with no emotion as he handed over the gift, "I did not want to give it to you in front of the Malfoy's, as I have my suspicions about what Dumbledore has gifted to you".

Harry tore open the gift and found a cloak, made from a fluid-like silky, silvery material, "I'm sorry, Severus, but Dumbledore's cloak is far too large for me".

Severus felt the urge to laugh at the boy almost too irresistible. Instead, he managed to merely smile, 'I knew Dumbledore would pull a stunt like this', considered Severus knowingly.

"It was your father's", Snape said dryly. Harry thought Snape looked bitter but a moment later the expression was gone, so Harry didn't dwell on it.

"Oh, ok... It's still rather ugly though, isn't it?", said Harry aridly.

Snape smirked at this and shook his head, "Try it on, _Potter_ ".

"Oh, am I _Potter_ now?", simpered Harry. He really found Severus amusing, occasionally, 'when he wasn't being a cold bastard', he silently giggled at that and threw the cape gracefully over himself.

"Oh no, I've lost Potter. What a shame (!)", leered Severus in a sarcastically childish manner.

"I didn't realise it would make me invisible!", laughed Harry as his head poked out of the overly large cloak.

"I realised", said Severus dully as he found himself remembering all of the times that very cloak had been used against him as a child.

Harry found himself unable to think of an appropriate reply.

"Well, Merry Christmas, Severus", Harry stated, then timidly added a quiet, "I think of you as a parent; I lo... _appreciate_ you".

Harry moved forwards, looked straight into Severus' eyes, then unexpectedly hugged him. Though the awkwardness of it escaped neither of them, neither had the heart to admit so.

Severus put his arm around Harry and sighed. He never imagined he'd end up loving James' son, but he did. 'Perhaps it was just because he was Lily's', thought Severus, but he knew he was lying to himself.

"I _love_ you too", He said, before hastily adding "sometimes" and moving out of the boy's embrace.

Harry narrowed his eyes, "not ' _always_ '?".

The sneaky bugger was smirking. 'Shit. How does he know about that?", panicked Severus internally. He glared at Harry, as if he were Neville. Then, just as Harry looked worried, he smiled and dramatically rolled his eyes, " _always_ ".

"And, Harry, you best be more careful about snooping on people", Severus said, mostly with concern "I do know what you did there, though I was shamefully underprepared. You don't want me to catch you up there again. Or else you will suffer the consequences".

Harry nodded and looked at his shoes. He didn't know that anyone would be able to tell, but he knew that - if anyone were to notice - it would be Severus who would.

"Don't worry, I am sure we can put you to use", Severus considered the consequences of what he wanted to say before deciding it was for the best. "I'm going to teach you some... _tricks_. They will serve you well".

\- Eleven -

"Sherbet Lemons", said Harry, revealing the password to the two Gargoyles, who parted ways for him once he had said it.

"Hello, Harry. How nice of you to be here", stated Dumbledore calmly.

"Yes. Very nice of me", said Harry with a slightly petulant sourness to his voice. He sat down, without any invitation, and glared at the headmaster.

"I imagine you know why you are here", continued Dumbledore. He paid no mind to Harry's childish behaviour, he was a child after all.

"Well, I _imagine_ I do not", sarcastically quipped Harry. He crossed his arms over his chest defensively and avoided all eye contact - just as Severus had advised him to. "Why don't you tell me?".

Dumbledore chuckled, which irritated Harry, though he said nothing. He then swiftly returned to his kind but serious demeanour, "Why aren't you using any magic?".

"Can't", said Harry simply, "Maybe I'm useless?".

"I sincerely doubt that", Dumbledore muttered. "I think you are more useful than you are willing to let on".

"I feel scared, sir", Harry whispered, putting on the facade he had planned all along. He allowed a single tear to run down his face as he looked to the floor.

"Why, my dear boy? You have nothing to be afraid of", Dumbledore sympathetically inquired.

'He's going to eat this up', Harry reasoned. "My aunt, and my uncle, and my cousin...", Harry whimpered, "I... I'm so sorry, sir. I c...can't".

"Please, don't cry. Take your time, Harry" Dumbledore calmly insisted.

"Every time I used m... magic, they b... b... _beat_ me and they, they s... _starved_ me!", Harry allowed himself to stutter and sniffle freely, "I don't want t... to think about it".

"Oh... Harry, please do not worry. It is ok if you take things slowly. I am sure you will become brave soon", said Dumbledore comfortingly, though he completely avoided the implications of what Harry had said.

"I wish to leave, Sir", said Harry, still crying slightly.

"Of course, Harry, goodbye", spoke Dumbledore quietly as Harry walked away.

 **Author's Note: The final part of first year will mostly be focused on Quirrelmort. I'm looking forward to it but I've been finding it difficult to write.**

 **Thank you for reading, I really appreciate all the support and interest you guys have shown; it still blows my mind how many people have read this.**


	7. The First Year (Part Four)

**Author's Note: This took me a lot longer than I thought it would. I had to reformat some of the previous chapters too.**

 **I've quit my social media activities for an entire week and I still have like 5 days to go so sorry if I don't reply from @unscrewed_up on instagram.**

 **Profanity warning: There's literally just the F word once but - just in case you can't handle that - I'm warning you.**

 **Also, just to note that any dialogue all in _italics_ is Parseltongue.**

The First Year: Part Four.

\- Twelve -

Draco ran. He found himself slamming into nothingness, and he smiled.

"Harry! I'm coming with you!", whispered Draco as he grasped in front of himself, pulling the cloak from over Harry.

Harry huffed; Draco smirked. Harry didn't realise just how well Draco knew him. Draco predicted exactly what Harry would say, before he had even opened his mouth, and he revelled in this proudly.

"Draco, you cannot. It's too dangerous!", hushed Harry.

"Yes, I can", Draco jokingly whined, "I said so".

Harry rolled his eyes and glanced away. Draco laughed at this, 'Harry is far too easy to annoy'. Draco really loved to tease Harry, but at the same time, no one else was permitted to do such a thing - unless they wanted Draco to hex them into next week.

"You know that I will protect you, no matter what. You're not going alone", protested Draco, his hand reaching for Harry's, as he gently restrained the boy.

"Oh, Draco", Harry sighed deeply, "I will be perfectly safe alone. I don't want you to get hurt".

Draco stared at Harry. He had no choice, he would have to use his greatest weapon. "Harry, I will tell Professor Snape that you are misusing what he has taught you. Do you want him to be _disappointed_ in you?".

Harry thought long and hard, saying nothing, but Draco could tell that he had won.

\- Thirteen -

The two boys silently stalked down the corridors. They peered inside the classroom. The shape of a man was visible from the doorway, but the door was locked.

"Fuck", exclaimed Harry, silently cursing his rotten luck. He pulled himself away from Draco and put his finger to his lips. Walking away, without the cover of his cloak, he knocked.

"Hello, H... Harry", stuttered Professor Quirrell as he looked for anyone else in the dark, deserted corridors.

"Hello, Sir", began Harry, "I just wanted your help with something", continued Harry with diplomacy, "Please, may I come in?". The gentle smile on his face hid the dark excitement that lurked within. His hand, concealed behind his back, motioned for Draco to follow.

"H... how may I...", Quirrell started to inquire, until he heard it.

The gentle hissing from Harry's mouth, the way the words slithered through the cold air, and the way it made him freeze in terror. He knew exactly what the boy wanted.

His smirk grew and he waited, a reasonable distance remained between the two of them, and then he spoke again - in English this time, "Would your master not like to show himself then?", Harry baited.

And that was when it happened. A harsh, high voice hissed from behind Quirrell, "Turn around, show him, now".

Quirrell screamed out in pain - sounding like a tortured animal - as he squeezed the desk. His neck contorted, revealing just what had been hidden underneath the Professor's turban.

Harry felt gleefully disgusted. Quirrell's head was severely deformed by the face of a hideous, snake-like man. His red eyes shone in the darkness and his flat features looked wasted and starved. Snape had been correct.

" _I came here for answers, Voldemort_ ", Harry stated, his cold eyes locked onto Voldemort's.

Voldemort hesitated, he seemed to be considering something, and then he replied, " _What is it_?".

Harry could barely hide his shock, he hadn't expected Voldemort to comply. " _Why_ _did_ _you kill my parents_?".

" _Oh!_ ", said Voldemort, feigning surprise, " _Did Dumbledore not tell you?_ ". His face formed a thin smile as he watched the boy's face change.

 _"Tell me what?"_ , questioned Harry. He knew he couldn't allow himself to be taken in, but he also knew that he wanted the truth.

 _"It is Dumbledore's fault that I went after your parents_ ", Voldemort said calmly. " _In a war, you have to do bad things to win_. _But_ _Dumbledore_ _led_ _me_ _to believe you were a_ _threat,_ _knowing I would target you"_.

Harry didn't know what to say. He felt so betrayed. He had always known Dumbledore was using him, but this was even worse.

Voldemort stepped closer amd whispered, " _Harry, he just wants you so that he can win. After that, you mean nothing to him"._

Harry found himself feeling oddly satisfied with this explaination: it confirmed what he had thought all along, " _I already_ _knew this_ ".

Voldemort looked at the boy. He saw a boy with so much talent, so much potential, who had been betrayed and abandoned by the wizarding world. He decided that this boy could just as easily become something more than Dumbledore's pawn, if given the incentive to do so. He braced himself, he was going to try something risky, but it would be worthwhile.

" _Harry, look at me_ ", Voldemort hissed, lowering himself to Harry's eyes.

Harry gasped as a flurry of images flashed in his mind:

A boy, an orphanage, and the years of suffering...

Dumbledore appearing in the doorway, a fire engulfing the wardrobe...

The shock of realising you were not alone, and the betrayal felt at being left alone for so long...

Sat alone on the train, the joy of seeing Hogwarts...

The Sorting hat, and Slytherin: the feeling of belonging for the first time.

And then he was back in the Defense classroom.

Voldemort stood back up to his full height, " _Don't you see, Harry? We are the same_ ".

Harry felt completely overwhelmed. He had never really met anyone like him before, and for that person to be your parent's killer. It made no sense.

Voldemort walked towards the centre of the room, silently casting damaging spells on every corner of the room, " _I_ _want you to know that I do not consider you my enemy, Harry_ ".

He then overturned the furnishings in the room, with one sweeping motion, " _Ask for Riddle's Diary if you intend to ally yourself with me. I know Malfoy is here; his father will know"._

Voldemort stepped forwards, placing both of his hands on Harry's face. The smell of charred flesh filled the air as his skin blackened, "We will meet again, _I'm sure a smart boy like you will come up with a good_ _excuse for this_ ".

\- Fourteen -

Shadows flickered before his eyes as a wave of dizziness washed over him. Hushed voices swam around his mind as he strained to focus on something, anything.

"Harry?", a voice cut through the hazed feeling that had settled itself within Harry's body.

Harry sat up slowly, but he felt far too tired to reply, and nodded.

"I'm glad you are feeling better. You have been very brave", said a voice, that Harry now recognised as Dumbledore's.

Harry closed his eyes again, he had little interest in what Dumbledore had to say, and the temptation to lose his temper was too easy to fall to.

"It's time to leave soon. Professor Snape has informed me that he wishes to care for you this summer. He is applying to become your legal guardian, do you _really_ want that, Harry?", questioned Dumbledore in a deceivingly kind voice, the implication that Dumbledore had little interest in Harry being anywhere but with the Dursleys made Harry feel sick.

"I would _love_ him to", groaned Harry, narrowing his eyes at Dumbledore briefly.

Dumbledore said nothing as he walked away, leaving Harry in the hospital wing. Harry was not particularly bothered by this, however, as Draco entered a moment later.

"Urgh, Gryffindor won the house cup", complained Draco as he sat himself at the end of the bed.

"What a shame", Harry agreed. It did not surprise either of them that Gryffindor won, but it was still disappointing.

"Are you coming to my house this summer?", Draco animatedly asked.

"Definitely!", Harry replied fast. The idea of going to a friend's house over the summer was unbelievably exciting to Harry, but so was the idea of finding out the truth "We should ask your father about _it_ ".

Yeah...", said Draco, "I'm going to go and get my trunk; I'll meet you on the train".

"I'm not going on the train", Harry whispered. Draco raised his eyebrows critically, "I'm going to meet Professor Snape, and after that? I don't really know".

 **Author's Notes: This was kind of hard to write but I hope that you think it makes sense.**

 **I'm going to take the time to refine some aspects of second year (I do have a plan but it needs more detail) and then I will upload the first part.**

 **Do you think Harry will accept Voldemort as an ally? Should Voldemort be trusted? What do you think Harry thinks of Dumbledore? What will happen in the second year?**

 **Thank you so SO much for reading. It makes me so excited every time I see people have liked/followed/reviewed etc.**


	8. The Second Year: Part One

The Second Year: Part One.

\- One -

"How wonderful to finally see you again, Harry Potter".

Draco watched on in wonder, 'well this is going to be... interesting', he thought.

Harry strode forwards. He had grown so very much, as a person and as a wizard. Draco couldn't help but feel slightly jealous of the power Harry commanded in everything he did.

"Riddle's Diary. A... friend, yes, I shall call him a friend - and a rather interesting one at that - wishes for me to acquire the diary", Harry uttered, he did not need to say more as Lucius' face gave it all away.

Absolutely mortified, if not mildly amused, Lucius considered the implications of Harry Potter's request. Draco saw his father trying his hardest to remain calm and unmoved but, despite Draco's lengthy explaination, he was still shocked at the very notion of The Dark Lord and Harry Potter becoming allies.

After some time, Lucius ran his finger over the books of an unassuming bookshelf - discreetly placed in a missable alcove - which drew so little attention that even Draco had never noticed it. He seemed to finally find what he wanted as he withdrew a surprisingly plain, suprisingly muggle, notebook.

Handing the book over to Harry, he aired the question that had burned at him since he beginning of _this_ , "What do you hope to achieve Potter?".

Harry paused, and then he smiled. His childish features lit up as he replied, "I do not know, Sir".

Draco looked into those sparkling emerald eyes, determined to see behind the façade, but there was nothing insincere about Harry's vague statement. He seemed amused, Draco could not have explained the expression that graced the boy's face in any other way.

Harry bowed slightly, accepting the diary, and he smirked. Harry Potter was a boy playing an adult's game, and he was winning.

"Professor Snape said That Lockheart was a fraudulent git, but I could never have imagined this!", squealed Draco under the cloak, as Harry's hand was hastily pressed against his mouth.

The two boys contemplated the scene they had just witinessed. As eager as they were to put Severus Snape's teachings to the test, they had not yet discovered anything even remotely interesting, _until now_.

The image of a bold first year, with pale skin and beautiful ash blonde hair, flickered at the front of Harry's mind. The way she had floated to the front of the room, and the way she had confronted Lockheart - maintaining a perfectly glazed look whilst doing so. It really impressed Harry. Her perception was beyond that of any normal first year, but that Ravenclaw was not normal: she was powerful; she was special.

"He obliviated her, Harry! My father will hear about this!", Draco loudly whispered as soon as Harry had removed his hand. Lockheart had left the classroom, shortly after the Ravenclaw, so now they were free to plan how they could use this interesting information.

"No Draco, I think we should tell Sev... Professor Snape", Harry said confidently, a smirk snuck it's way across his face, "I imagine he can help us _use_ this".

\- Two -

Severus Snape's private rooms were surprisingly nice. Though the rumours of it being cold and dark and full of torture devices were ridiculous, they weren't exactly unfounded - due to various rumours started by the Gryffindors, circulated by the rest, and encouraged by the Slytherins.

Harry would have quite liked to have reassured Gryffindor students that Severus made his guests sit on a Judas Cradle, but he had now learnt that there were more subtle and effective ways to torture and humiliate.

"I knew you would discover the truth, but I didn't expect you to do so before Hallowe'en. Well done boys", said Severus, _almost_ smiling.

"I knew this was a test!", exclaimed Harry. He did not sound angry, he was just excited.

"Did you?!", questioned Draco eagerly, "How?!".

Harry laughed, "Isn't it obvious?". He laughed further at the bemused expression on Draco's face, "Professor Snape wouldn't send us off to do anything dangerous: he isn't Dumbledore!".

\- Three -

The Slytherin dorms were silent. It was far past both Harry and Draco's bedtime, but they had much bigger things to worry about - were they caught.

The diary was sat upon the pillow, the two boys stared at it in awe. The curtains were drawn and they had finally found the time to test the diary.

Harry held a quill under the soft glow of Draco's lumos, he wrote, 'Hello, Tom Riddle, I am Harry Potter'.

The two boys waited, at first they exchanged subtle glances of confusion. Had the book not worked? But then the page changed: 'Hello, Potter, I would rather you refrain from calling me such a name. My current title is more', the ink paused, as if the book were thinking, before continuing ' _appropriate_ '.

Harry decided against any pretence of stupidity, now what he thought had been proven correct, he hastily replied, 'what would you ask of me? Of _us_ '?

The book replied simply, 'A test'.

Draco eyed Harry nervously, he was very scared of the kind of test The Dark Lord would set, but he was even more scared for Harry's sake. What came next was something Draco would have _never_ anticipated:

'Find the Chamber Of Secrets. Use your wit, charms and talents to do so. I will crown you my heir - should you succeed'.

 **Author's Note: I was a little bit ill last week, and then I thought that I should update once a week. I didn't expect to take so long, so I am sorry. I shall be updating every Saturday evening (if I can) (GMT 0), once I start school again it may have to change to fortnightly updates though.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed this and I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to read what I write. Thank you!**


	9. The Second Year: Part Two

The Second Year: Part Two.

\- Four -

"I can't believe we have been looking since Christmas, yet we have discovered nothing...", Draco whispered woefully.

They were silently discussing their 'test' during Defence Against the Dark Arts. This was not an uncommon occurrence - as Gilderoy Lockheart was utterly useless and barely worth listening to .

"Hmm, I never imagined it would be easy", Harry absent mindedly replied. He had been unfocused for days, his thoughts had been straying again. He sometimes imagined something whispering to him, from the depths of the castle, but her words were unintelligible- due to the general noise of those around him.

Only when it was night could he occasionally hear her calling for him, calling for him to end her loneliness. Draco couldn't hear her, nobody could; Harry doubted anyone else could help her. If only he knew who she was.

Suddenly, Lockheart's incessant bragging grabbed both Harry and Draco's attentions: "Wonderful question, Miss Brown! I believe the most exciting thing I did - whilst a student at Hogwarts - was discover the Chamber of Secrets! ".

"Ha!", Draco sarcastically sneered, "You weren't even a Slytherin but you're _clearly_ Slytherin's heir".

Harry couldn't help but share Draco's opinion of the bumbling professor's blatant lie, but he couldn't help but wonder if the idiot _did_ have information.

"Prove it!", leered Harry, directly challenging Lockheart to give away too much, "If you're such a _hero,_ tell us _where_ the chamber is".

Strutting towards the centre of the room, like a peacock, Lockheart declared, "Isn't it obvious? The Dungeons. Now, do not go looking for it, boys and girls: not everybody is as talented as I am".

\- Five -

" _Open",_ Harry hissed at yet another brick wall.

"Nothing?", Draco asked, the mundane bordom more than evident in his voice. He was tired, he was very tired, and they had found nothing.

"I knew he didn't have a clue", sighed harry, crossing out another section on their crude but accurate 'dungeon map'. They had now checked every area of the dungeon and nowhere reacted to parseltongue.

Draco had smartly concluded that the only thing all heirs of Slytherin had in common was blood and being a parselmouth. Draco then smartly concluded that rubbing blood all over the walls - hoping to find the chamber - was neither discreet nor safe. This made speaking parseltongue the most logical way to open the chamber.

"Oi!".

'Shit!', thought Harry, that was Weasley's voice!

"Oi! Pathetic Potter and his boyfriend Mummy's boy Malfoy, down in the dungeons hissing together? I know what that is! That's dark magic! You're screwed, you slimy gits!", leered Ron. His chest puffed out proudly. He realised he _finally_ had dirt on those snakes.

Harry's hand instinctively curled around his wand; then he realised he really didn't want to expose himself - especially to Weasley of all people.

"Don't worry, Harry, Ronald is just upset that you can't buy brain cells - though I suppose his family would be too poor to afford them either way", Draco sniggered. He knew Weasley had little self control, and even less common sense.

'If Weasley loses it down here Snape will be more than willing to teach the weasel some manners', Draco laughed at that thought, and was more than happy to see Weasley's face was almost as red as his hair.

"A... at least my parents aren't Death Eaters, Malfoy!", screamed Weasley, his fists balled around Draco's collar.

"Perhaps we should have a little _chat_ , Weasley. Such accusations are not tolerated in _my_ Dungeons", Snape suddenly appeared behind Weasley, a hand firmly clasped upon the redhead's shoulder. And, just like he had appeared out of nowhere, Snape hastily disappeared just as fast, dragging Weasley by the arm as he went.

\- Six -

Hermione marched into the great hall, a heavy book in hand, straight towards the Slytherin table.

Once she reached where Harry sat, she promptly stopped and slammed the book upon the table. It landed with a thump as she began to speak in her whiny 'know-it-all' voice, "Ronald said you were hissing in the dungeons!".

"And?", Harry questioned. "Am I not a snake?", he joked.

"Well, in 'Hogwarts: A History' it says that Slytherin himself could 'hiss' - as Ronald put it; he was a parselmouth. Only his descendants are known to be parcelmouths. That means you must be a descendant of Slytherin!".

"Mmmm, o-k? How _very_ exciting(!)", Harry scornfully quipped, 'Why couldn't the silly girl just leave him alone?'.

"Well, that means you _must_ be magical, if you are a parselmouth. And I think you are!", Hermione proudly stated, fully confident that she had _finally_ outsmarted Harry Potter.

Harry realised what he said next was rather... rude, to say the least, but it got the job done, "Hiss, hiss, fucking hiss. Nobody cares what you think because nobody would be stupid enough to believe _anything_ that comes out of Ronald Weasley's nasty mouth. He bullied you all of last year - and the majority of this year - but now you are more than happy to agree with him: He is using you, Granger!".

The entirety of Slytherin laughed, the majority of them never passing up the opportunity to ridicule muggleborns, but he had never intended to be so loud.

As she burst into tears, Harry felt something he had never felt before: his chest ached and he wanted to chase after her. He didn't know what was wrong with him!

Regardless, he silently stood and strode after her.

\- Seven -

"I'm really sorry", Harry whispered, sliding down to join Hermione - who was sat sobbing on the soaked floor. She had ran off to the long abandoned, and widely avoided, second floor (female) bathroom. It's only occupant was Moaning Myrtle, a particularly annoying ghost. Harry had long ago been warned to avoid her bathroom at all costs.

"I... I am only upset because I know you are right", she hiccoughed, whilst attempting to stop hyperventilating. "He... he was only being nice to me to use me. B... but I have no one in Gryffindor! I... I wanted to believe he cared!".

"Oh, Hermione", Harry whispered, instinctively running his hand over her soft, bushy hair, "I understand how you feel".

Hermione looked at Harry, for the first time she was looking at his eyes. They seemed so sincere and pure.

"Sometimes I feel like everyone is looking for faults in me. Nobody appreciates me as I am, they all think I'm a hero, but I am weak...", Harry whispered, leaning close to Hermione's ear, "You feel as if no one appreciates you how you are".

She nodded, "You're wrong, Hermione. I appreciate you as you are. You are smart, and brave and _persistent._ I really think, if you hadn't tried to expose me as a hero, we could have been friends, but I was worried I would disappoint you when you realised I was nothing".

Harry stood up, offering his hand to Hermione. She accepted with a small smile and nodded. She looked much happier, if not slightly guilty.

"Be brave, and be true to yourself", he silently said as he planted a gentle kiss on her hand.

She flushed and walked away, covering her grin with the hand he had kissed.

'That was all lies... of course', thought Harry, 'It must be...'.

 **Author's Note: I managed to stay on schedule! Hopefully, I can keep it up. I really hope you enjoy.**

 **One thing I want to add, I am really sorry that Hermione comes across as pretty annoying (so far). In canon, she was a bit of a know-it-all until Harry and Ron brought her down to earth.**

 **The thing to remember is that - without Harry - Ron would have most likely still disliked Hermione by their second year.**

 **Hermione will become more important later, I promise!**

 **Thank you so much for reading/favouriting/reviewing/commenting etc. What do you think will happen next?**


	10. The Second Year: Part Three

The Second Year: Part Three.

\- Eight -

"Ha ha ha, awwwww", squealed Moaning Myrtle as she emerged from the nearest toilet, splashing large amounts of water onto Harry's robes in the process. "Nobody chased after me when I came in here! What a cute boy you are!". Her face suddenly turned sour, "It took them _hours_ to find my body!".

Harry felt genuinely shocked, "A student died at Hogwarts?".

'Myrtle blushed. Perfect', thought Harry slyly. Well, if ghosts could blush she certainly would have. He knew ghosts had been around for long enough to know more secrets than anyone else. He also knew that Myrtle was certainly naive and insecure enough to tell him anything - with some _persuasion._

"Ooooh, it was dreadful, it happened right in here. I'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. The door was locked, and I was crying, and then I heard somebody come in. They said something funny, a different language, I think it must've been. Anyway, what really got me was that it was a boy speaking. So I unlocked the door to tell him to go and use his own toilet, and then... I died", though Myrtle looked terribly upset she also looked gleeful that somebody was finally paying attention to her.

"Oh my, that is dreadful!", exclaimed Harry. He feigned sorrow but, inside, he was incredibly excited. The time was the same, and - as Harry now suspected - Tom Riddle was involved. "Did nobody ever discover who or what killed you?".

Myrtle considered this for a moment, she seemed hesitant, but then she answered sadly, "Nobody ever asked me. Nobody seemed to particularly care".

Harry walked closer to Myrtle, he was mere centimetres away from physical contact when he responded, "Well, I care! How unjust is it that they never investigated? You should tell me more so I can try to figure it out".

Myrtle went into great detail, remarking upon every small detail of her death. Admittedly, Harry found the majority of it to be useless - but there was certainly some interesting things he had learnt.

He was now certain that the culprit was a parselmouth, however, Myrtle was killed by 'something with creepy yellow eyes'. He could only imagine that it was a snake, but no snake was so large!

'This may be more difficult than I anticipated'.

\- Nine -

"Harry, there you are! I was terribly worried for you!", shouted Malfoy as he practically threw himself - through the doorway - to Harry's side.

"Wow! Pretty Potter has a handsome friend!", Myrtle squawked.

Draco was utterly mortified. 'Had Harry been flirting, and with Moaning Myrtle of all people?'. He did not know why, but the idea made him feel sick.

"Pretty... Potter?", snarled Draco, raising his left eyebrow as he did so.

"We _are_ beautiful, Draco", Harry sniggered.

"Myrtle, I have something incredibly _special_ to show you", Harry uncertainly proposed, he didn't know how he could get away with this. "I think... I think I can find the thing that hurt you and... and I'm not certain of what I'll do from there".

'Is Myrtle... swooning?', questioned Draco. He had no idea what Harry was doing; he wasn't even _entirely_ certain if he wanted to know.

Harry continued, suppressing a smirk, "You will have to keep it a secret, can you keep watch for teachers and possibly keep them away from the bathroom?".

Myrtle floated slightly before regaining her composure, "Of course I can, Harry! I'd do anything for you!".

"Awesome!", Harry laughed.

He then circled the room. "It was this one?", he asked with certainty.

"How did you know?", she asked in disbelief.

"It has a serpent, _look_ ", he replied bluntly.

She leaned closer, peering over Harry's shoulder, "Wow, brave, beautiful _and_ bright? You are perfect!".

Harry hissed, in a language Draco recognised and - based on the strange way she gasped - so did Myrtle.

" _Open"_ , Harry willed, focusing on the serpent as he channeled his magic into his words.

The pipes shifted themselves aside as the sink parted away from itself. A dark slide-like entrance revealed itself and Draco knew _instantly_ where it led to.

"Merlin! This is absolutely filthy, Harry!", wailed an absolutely horrified Draco Malfoy.

Harry hissed again and a steep set of stairs formed themselves from the former slide.

"We can't have my delicate little prince getting dirty now, can we?", Harry drawled, the amusement on his face evident.

"Well, we all know that you and I are both far too stylish to use something so _undignified_ ", Draco retorted, with a playful smile dancing upon his lips.

"You are right, as always", Harry said, sending a mockingly suggestive wink in Draco's direction.

Descending the staircase, Harry turned to face Myrtle and blew her a cheeky kiss, as the two boys disappeared into darkness.

 **Author's Note: Sorry that this isn't very long. I have somehow managed to catch the sniffles in the summer and I have had a lot of homework to catch up on. I also didn't want the chapter to be overly long.**

 **I really hope that you enjoy this. Tell me what you think will happen next and I look forward to surprising you all next week!**


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